Dan Evans, the British No2, says that Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene should not be eligible to join him in the Davis Cup squad even if he gets citizenship – because he has already played for his country of birth.

Bedene has lived in the UK since he was 18 and hopes to become a British national next February. That could mean he is eligible for Great Britain’s first-round match in March even though he has played three times for Slovenia.

Speaking on Tuesday morning Bedene, who is ranked 132 in the world, claimed those matches did not count because they were dead rubbers: “I never actually played a live rubber so I wasn’t really fighting for a country in the way I wanted to,” he said. “So I want to play for Great Britain in a live rubber if I get a chance and I think there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Evans, who lost 6-2, 6-3 in the second round at Queen’s to the big-serving South African Kevin Anderson, disagrees. “I have nothing against him,” he said. “I just wouldn’t do it personally. He’s a nice guy. He’s played Davis Cup for a different country. I just don’t think it would be right if he played Davis Cup for our country. And I am a better player than him, too.”

Evans, the 139th-ranked player in the world, added: “It’s a tough one. I think becoming British, yeah, it’s fine. But you shouldn’t play Davis Cup if you’ve already played for a different country – it’s like being capped in football.

“I know him and a guy who used to work for the LTA, James Davidson, coaches him. He’s a good guy but it’s just one of those things.”